Help applications often accompany computer software applications to assist the operator with the use of the application. The help application when enabled by the user is presented to the user on the user interface to guide the user in executing and performing functions with the target application. In some cases the help application may be called up by the user and may provide a search window to allow the user to search for help topics. The help application may provide tips or shortcuts in response to predefined user actions with the target application.
Over time, the help application presents the same tips over and over. The user, after a given period of experience with the software, is proficient enough that the help program or specific tips presented by the help program are no longer necessary.
Help applications may also be manually enabled and disabled by the user. Software on computer systems may often ship to the customer with the help application enabled to help guide the new user through the operation of the new computer system. However if a first user disables the help application prior to use by second user, the second user does not have the benefit of the help application.
The various aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon careful consideration of the following Detailed Description thereof with the accompanying drawings described below. The drawings may have been simplified for clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.